[Fumblerooskies]

..it IS (or may be) rigged even more than we thought:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8231 ... off-series

Congress needs to worry less about performance enhancers in sports and concern itself with racketeering.

[TDDance234]

Exception and not the rule.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

No freakin way! hahaha cmon everyone knows this it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone

[BJWilliams]

Frankly as bad as officiating can be I think Stern is right in what he is saying about Donaghy trying to throw out whatever he can so he can get a lesser sentence. Now that he knows he's gonna be going to jail and gonna be Bruiser's new friend, he is singin like a canary.

[thepostman]

the officiating is what is wrong with the nba anyways...everybody likes point the finger at the players and how they don't play team ball...blah, blah blah...but the officials are absolutely terrible....they should all be fired anyways....sometimes i do think big south refs could do a better job...its just sad how bad MOST of the refs are in the nba today....just sad

[Realist]

I don't doubt it. Has anyone watched the playoff games? If you so much as put a hand anywhere within 5 feet of Kobe tonight it's a foul. It was like that for Boston last game. The NBA wants it to go at least 6 games so it's going to go at least 6 games, all under the guise of "home court advantage."

[Fumblerooskies]

What he said above!

[SumItUp]

ditto that

[Purple Haize]

As an official, I am not sure what I can say. I think Stern is correct when he says that Dungheap is trying to get a reduced sentence and throw out whatever he can. On the other hand I think that these Refs probably acted on their own to throw the game but it is not a widespread practice. However, I DO believe Dungheap when he says they were directed NOT to eject star players. When was the last time you saw a 'star player' foul out? (Excluding nearing the end of a game) Some would say that is good officiating, some would say it is manipulating the game. I will plead the 5th.!!
I just hope our local NBA Ref stud who still resides in the area had nothing to do with it. He is a great guy!!

[SuperJon]

Purple, are NBA refs paid on a per-game basis in the playoffs or per-series?

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

First of all I think they get paid per series but its only a few games of that series if that makes sense at all...


And Purple I think youre right that he is trying to get his time reduced, but I still believe him. Notice he never said what games, what officials were doing the game or anything about it. He gave blanket statements to not get anyone in trouble and never gave out a name thats why I believe him. He just gave a year and said what they were being told and what officials were doing on that side... I dunno seems legit and if you watch some of these games I see what he is talking about. No Techs for Wallace the whole Orlando series and he bi... COMPLAINS on EVERY SINGLE PLAY. But that is a different time and Im still mad

[ATrain]

Now you know why I'm not a huge NBA fan...I'll watch the playoffs, secretly cheer for the Hawks every now and then, but thats it.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

Now you know why I'm not a huge NBA fan...

Must....Keep....Rude.... Inappropriate Comments....To....Myself.....

[thepostman]

its true though tbgbg....i think its the main reason the nba has kind of faded in populairty...the officiating is that bad...i don't know if any of these things are true...but if it does anything at all I hope that it sends a message to the nba that it needs fixed....

the nba game has improved greatly the past couple years...and there are some very respectable rising stars in the nba...chris paul and dwight howard are first to come to mind...but it means nothing if the freaking referees continue to control the games the way that they do....nobody wants to see games decided be refereeing...and far too many nba games are

[SumItUp]

Somewhere, Mark Cuban is sipping on an early morning bloody mary and chuckling to himself.

[Fumblerooskies]

Somewhere, Mark Cuban is sipping on an early morning bloody mary and chuckling to himself.

The Dan Patrick Show on XM played an interview with Cuban from a month ago when he was speculating on stuff like that.

[TDDance234]

its true though tbgbg....i think its the main reason the nba has kind of faded in populairty...the officiating is that bad...i don't know if any of these things are true...but if it does anything at all I hope that it sends a message to the nba that it needs fixed....

the nba game has improved greatly the past couple years...and there are some very respectable rising stars in the nba...chris paul and dwight howard are first to come to mind...but it means nothing if the freaking referees continue to control the games the way that they do....nobody wants to see games decided be refereeing...and far too many nba games are

The problem with players becoming bigger and stronger is that they go harder to the rim. There is contact every play...it's sort of like the constant RA discussion that plagues Liberty. The rules have become so vague, where some refs call them and others don't. Reality is there is a foul everytime someone goes to the rim. The only way to really spread the game out is extend the court size and space out the players more.

[scuzdriver]

People pay to see the stars play, not the 10th guy off the bench. The refs have always left the star players alone. It's just the way it is.

I think the reason the popularity of the NBA is fading is much more than just the refs. It's the lack of the team concept, (one on one every time down the court gets real old). Also, it might just be me, but a large portion of the players look and act like thugs. Sorry, but who wants to watch that?

[SuperJon]

People pay to see the stars play, not the 10th guy off the bench. The refs have always left the star players alone. It's just the way it is.

I think the reason the popularity of the NBA is fading is much more than just the refs. It's the lack of the team concept, (one on one every time down the court gets real old). Also, it might just be me, but a large portion of the players look and act like thugs. Sorry, but who wants to watch that?

That's the NBA five years ago, not this year.

[blwall1416]

The problem with players becoming bigger and stronger is that they go harder to the rim. There is contact every play...it's sort of like the constant RA discussion that plagues Liberty. The rules have become so vague, where some refs call them and others don't. Reality is there is a foul everytime someone goes to the rim. The only way to really spread the game out is extend the court size and space out the players more.

Even though I don't like the nba...just because there is contact DOES NOT mean there is a foul.

The NBA is too spread out offensively as it is.

[TDDance234]

The problem with players becoming bigger and stronger is that they go harder to the rim. There is contact every play...it's sort of like the constant RA discussion that plagues Liberty. The rules have become so vague, where some refs call them and others don't. Reality is there is a foul everytime someone goes to the rim. The only way to really spread the game out is extend the court size and space out the players more.

Even though I don't like the nba...just because there is contact DOES NOT mean there is a foul.

The NBA is too spread out offensively as it is.

True...conduct does not always lead to a foul. However, 80% of the time when a player goes up to contest a shot, he's coming down with his arms which is a foul. Very rarely is there a clean block or contest of the shot around the rim.

[blwall1416]

However, 80% of the time when a player goes up to contest a shot, he's coming down with his arms which is a foul.

Only if the defender gains an advantage. There once was a percentage used by officials...70-30, IIRC...that basically meant the play was legal if there was less than 30% contact that didn't give an advantage to the defender. In order for there to be a foul, an advantage has to be gained by someone.

Of course, that was back when Purple had locks of golden hair that went down past his collar.

[matshark]

i hate bball at all times of the year with the exception of march... thus, i really dont care, however, id say there is some validity to timy boy's claims... esp. given the vagueness of it when matched with the numbers from the ONLY games that fit the bill...

definitely worth investigating... id be interested in knowing who bet on what... pete rose anyone?

[Purple Haize]

NBA Referee's get paid an annual salary. I want to say it starts at 140k a year, but it may ONLY be 125k. I agree with the concept of "Star" treatment and that happens at every level. A for instance: Player A1 goes in for a lay up. Player B2 and B8 make contact with him. Player B2 is the "star" of the team. A good official will call the foul on B8. Both players fouled A1 so you get to chose! I have no problem with that especially at the NBA level. As for the playoffs, I believe they get paid on a game by game basis. The same crew does not work the whole series. An individual may work more then one game in a series and more then one series, but won't work EVERY game in a series. The Great Donny Vaden worked his last game during one of the NBA finals. It was great to see him out there, but he only did that one game in the Finals.
This story could go either way: It could be the NBA's Steroid scandal or it could be nothing. IF Dungheap can name names and provide evidence, i.e. emails, memo's or recorded phone conversations, then this will be huge!! If not on the federal level, imagine what his book will bring in!! (Where's is Jose' Canseco's publisher!) Or if is a situation where the NBA reminded teh officials that people pay to see stars play, then you have nothing. IMHO, it is a tad too early to tell.

[flamesbball84]

People pay to see the stars play, not the 10th guy off the bench. The refs have always left the star players alone. It's just the way it is.

I think the reason the popularity of the NBA is fading is much more than just the refs. It's the lack of the team concept, (one on one every time down the court gets real old). Also, it might just be me, but a large portion of the players look and act like thugs. Sorry, but who wants to watch that?

That's the NBA five years ago, not this year.

yep, except the cleveland cavaliers are still living in that time period. thank God they didnt go any further than they did because they are HORRIBLE for the nba.